Celeriac Noodles

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Celeriac (a.k.a. celery root) is an under-celebrated root vegetable that has a distinctive herbaceous flavor. Its hearty texture makes for a satisfying pasta substitute and provides a nice comforting starch to any meal. 

This recipe yields 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 bulbs celeriac root
  • 2 tablespoons bacon grease
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 bulbs celeriac root
  • 2 tablespoons bacon grease
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  1. To prepare the celeriac, cut off both ends of the bulb with a chef’s or utility knife. Continue to shallowly slice the tough, bumpy skin around the bulb until you get to the white part. At this point, you can continue to cut with the knife or finish with a vegetable peeler until you get down to the white flesh.

  2. Using a spiralizer, spiralize the celeriac bulb to create spaghetti-like strands.

  3. Heat up a large skillet on medium-high heat with bacon grease.

  4. Add celeriac noodles and allow them to cook for 10 minutes or until soft.

  5. Remove from heat and toss with sea salt. 

  6. Serve as a side dish or top with pesto for a main entree.

Tips

*If you don’t keep bacon grease in your fridge, any high smoke point fat will work. This includes animal fats such as duck or chicken or coconut oil.

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Sumactail

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Sumac is one of my favorite spices thanks to its zesty flavor and bright red hue that brings a pop of color to many dishes I make. I also decided to try it in a mocktail (which could easily be a cocktail depending on your preference; I sometimes am able to tolerate tequila, which would work nicely here). Sumac and lemon are perfect partners, and honey adds some smooth sweetness, while the salt-rimmed glasses bring to mind a Mexican getaway. 

This recipe yields 4 mocktails

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons of sumac
  • 10 lemons
  • Ice
  • Coarse salt to rim glasses
  • 120 ml honey
  • 120 ml water
  • 2 tablespoons of sumac
  • 10 lemons
  • Ice
  • Coarse salt to rim glasses

Directions

  1. Put honey, water, and sumac in a saucepan and place on low heat. 

  2. Heat the mixture until the honey begins to dissolve and the consistency becomes a thick simple syrup, approximately 10-15 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and strain to remove the extra sumac. I sometimes strain twice depending on the amount of sumac sediment that gets caught in the strainer.

  4. Juice the lemons. Occasionally I add a little juice from a fresh orange, as well. 

  5. Place ice in a cocktail shaker. I use 1 cup / 120 ml of lemon juice to 1 tablespoon of simple sumac syrup mixture, but you can experiment with this depending on how sweet or sour you like it. 

  6. Shake with ice in shaker and serve in a salted rimmed glass. 

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